This high school class aims to alleviate South Florida’s industrial labor shortage
A multinational company is helping to alleviate the labor shortages plaguing South Florida’s industrial market by going back to high school.
But one multinational company saw the potential to nurture a local workforce to meet the field’s increasing demand.
Prologis, a San Francisco-based real estate logistics and supply chain company, funded the four-year Global Logistics and Supply Chain Technology program at Miami Springs Senior High School. It partnered with Miami-Dade County Public Schools to convert a wood shop on campus into a fully-equipped warehouse space and instructional lab.
By August, 145 students were learning about global logistics, supply chain technology, transportation systems, customer service and communication skills.
“The strengths of the program are significant because of the lack of labor that exists in Miami-Dade County for the transportation and logistics industry,” George Pino, president of Doral-based commercial real estate brokerage company State Street Realty, said. “This program is filling a need.”
The program offers a different course to students depending on their grade level, connects students with industry leaders and matches students after their junior year with trade internships, according to the Prologis South Florida Market Officer Scott Gregory.
Students in ninth grade learn about global logistics and supply chain technology. Sophomores are taught information technology applications. Juniors can take global logistics operations and seniors can register for global logistics management.
The program’s instructor, real estate agent Nicolas Acosta, Jr., connects students to the program’s partners and organizations that he is a member of: the Miami Dade Beacon Council Trade and Logistics Committee, Florida Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association, World Trade Center Miami and Miami Springs Chamber of Commerce.
“Companies save a lot of money when the industry gets a defined pipeline from high school,” Acosta, Jr. said.
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Students can receive a Certified Logistics Technician certificate after three to four years of coursework. Students are also prepared to pass a forklift certification test that would enable them to drive industrial trucks and move heavy loads.
“They have an opportunity right out of high school with the forklift certification,” Acosta, Jr., said. “I have a simulation and when they take the test it’s better than not having any experience at all.”
Local jobs exist for students interested in the field, said Pino. “I see the demand for skilled labor in those areas rising because the economy is doing well. We are in the early innings of e-commerce, and training programs have never been more important,” Pino said.
Enrollment numbers are growing. The class is divided into six periods or classes, said Acosta, Jr. And more students want a seat in the program.
“Students like the practical part of it,” Acosta, Jr. said. “The kids love to do things with their hands.”
The Prologis program is part of a national effort titled the Community Workforce Initiative launched in 2018 with two high schools, one in Los Angeles and another in Long Beach, according to Nareit, a real estate industry publication.
“We have begun collaborating with local workforce programs to provide mentorship, skills training, internships and job placement services for people interested in pursuing careers in logistics, distribution and transportation—sectors currently experiencing a significant labor shortage,” Gregory wrote over email. “Through CWI’s partnerships, we will help our customers address labor needs and expand their talent pipelines.”
